Trainer Development Conference

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James E. West, the first Chief Scout Executive, was asked in the early days of Scouting to identify the three most important needs of the young Scout organization. After careful thought, Mr. West responded, Training, more training, and still more training. Training continues to be a top priority of the Boy Scouts of America today.

Scouters responsible for training may be members of district or council training teams who train leaders in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing. They may also be Scouters who train commissioners and district committees. They may be pack trainers. The Trainer Development Conference is designed to develop and improve the skills of both veteran and prospective trainers. The Trainer Development Conference incorporates numerous contemporary training techniques and emphasizes the importance of experiential learning, or learning by doing. In most instances, the training sessions not only demonstrate good training methods, but give participants an opportunity to interact and practice what they have learned. An ongoing learning activity, the BSA 500 game, is featured and used continuously throughout the conference to emphasize and reinforce the experiential learning.
This course previously was called Train The Trainer.